The present invention relates to downspout structures of the type used for discharging run-off water from a building gutter or the like.
An important design criteria in the planning and construction of building structures is the collection and removal of rainwater and the like from the roof and foundational areas surrounding the building structure to avoid potential structural damage thereto by flooding of the structure and/or erosion of the surrounding earth. Accordingly, it is a common practice, particularly in home construction, to provide rain gutters at the outward terminal edges of the building roof together with downspouts communicating with the gutters to collect and direct water runoff from the roof away from the building.
A long-standing and yet substantially unsolved problem associated with the use of conventional rainwater ducting systems is the undesired collection of leaves, twigs, pine needles and other debris in the gutters and downspouts, which inhibits the proper functioning of the ducting system for water collection and drainage and ultimately causes complete clogging of the system. Often, such clogging occurs in the vertical downspouts which connect with the building gutters for receiving the collected run-off water from the building gutter and directing the water away from the building to a drainage or other discharge location.
A number of apparent disadvantages result. Accumulation of debris in the ducting system creates an increased water load on the system, particularly the gutter structure, and on the supporting structural members of the building, thereby creating a risk of structural damage to one or both thereof. In addition, ducting systems having accumulated debris therein are more prone to flooding over the gutter edges, posing a further risk of flooding and water damage to the building structure. Furthermore, the gutters and downspouts having collected debris therein are highly subject to premature corrosion and possible freezing damage during the winter months. Accordingly, it has traditionally been necessary to manually clear conventional ducting systems of accumulated debris over a periodic basis, but such maintenance measures still serve only to minimize the effects of, rather than eliminate, debris accumulation.
In the past, various solutions to the above-described problems have been proposed. For instance, screen-like gutter inserts are available to cover the open top of conventional trough-like gutters to permit water to flow thereinto while preventing leaves and other debris from entering the gutters. However, in actual practice, it has been found that such screens merely serve to collect leaves, pine needles and the like thereon requiring that the screens themselves be periodically cleared of accumulated debris. On the other hand, various deflector members as well as entirely redesigned gutter structures have been proposed having the two-fold purpose of permitting water drainage while preventing debris accumulation. Representative examples of such deflectors and gutter structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 546,042; 603,611; 836,012; 891,405; 2,669,950; 2,672,832; 4,404,775; and 4,497,146. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,638,369 and 4,241,547, there are disclosed auger mechanisms rotatably positioned within the gutters and/or downspouts of conventional rainwater ducting systems for preventing the clogging thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,510 discloses a deflector trough adapted for attachment to the roof beams of a building to deflect rainwater away therefrom, without utilizing any guttering or downspout structures.
In contrast, the present invention provides a novel improvement in the basic structure of gutter downspouts, which is uniquely effective to control the flow of run-off water while preventing downspout clogging and facilitating easy cleaning thereof.